How much weight gain is too much?

[kiiarah]

Hi guys, I have been monitoring Shesha's weight since I got him two months ago. When he came home he weighed 92 grams at about one month old. Now at three months old he weighs in at 155. It's really amazing how quickly he is growing and I just thought I should try to get an idea of what is considered too much gain too fast so that I know what to expect, and whether he is being fed properly. I read somewhere that many bps are actually overweight so I am a bit scared to base any comprisons off pictures online alone. I actually managed to find a growth chart with average weights by age and the listed average was 145 grams, so it seems like he is doing well, but I sometimes worry about not knowing the correct feeding schedule/amnt. He is fed once a week and each time he gets a rat between 10-15% of his weight. He has only pooped once since I have had him but had also shed once. Any guidelines or pointers would be very reassuring. Thanks!!

[EL Ziggy]

I don't keep BP's but I also use the 10-15% of body weight feeding regiment for my colubrids. They do grow quickly but none of mine are overweight. My youngest bullsnake was a month old and 42g when I got him. He's 4 months old now and over 150g but he's still very lean. You can usually tell by looking at them if they're starting to get a little chunky. If they start looking more round than muscular just scale back on the food a bit by offering smaller meals or by feeding them less frequently.

[virtuousvixen]

It sounds like you are on the right track. My BP when i got her was 2 months old but she weighed slightly less. About 72g i think( she was a picky eater the first month ) she is now 7 months old and around 250g. I also feed 10-15% of bodyweight and have no problems with obesity

[kiiarah]

Thanks for the reassurance. I guess I am just amazed by how quickly he is growing. I don't know what excessive weight gain would be or if anything could cause it apart from overfeeding (underlying internal problems, etc) so I figured it would throw the question out there. I certainly don't feel like I am overfeeding him, so as long as I am the only one shocked by how much he has put on it sounds like we are doing fine. :)

[virtuousvixen]

Give it a couple of months and you'll soon start to notice the difference. Put a couple of pics of Juno here so you can see the difference The first pic was when i first got her. The second at 4-5 months and the last is a couple of weeks ago